Cauliflower Salad Recipe

With Easter right around the corner and BBQ season coming up soon, I thought that I’d share a recipe that has become a favorite in our family. While the base of the recipe of the veggies is healthy, the condiments that are added make this recipe definitely not so healthy. You can opt for some fat-free versions of the items to make it a little better. I’ve been wanting to substitute Greek yogurt for some of them but I haven’t tried it yet to get the right blend. When I do, I’ll update the recipe.

If you are lucky, you might be able to find the purple and orange cauliflower to make it more festive for Easter but regular cauliflower works just as well.

What You’ll Need:

~Cauliflower – How much you use depends on its size. Overall, a little less than one average size cauliflower. I used parts of two colored ones. You might be better off starting with less and adding more if you need it.
~1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing/Dip
~3 oz. of Cream Cheese, softened (a little less than half a box)
~1 cup (8 oz.) of Sour Cream
~1 cup (8 oz.) of Mayo
~Cucumber – cut into smaller cubes – I only used 1/2 for mine
~Radishes – cut into slices – I used about 4 – 6. Adds some color
~Green onions (optional) – chopped small- Adds a little flavor

The fun part begins–wash and cut up all your veggies! Now, if you are going to make your salad for much later in the day, I wouldn’t add your cucumbers and radishes to the dish just yet. Cut them up ahead of time and keep them separate. Add them maybe an hour before so they get mixed in. The reason for this is that their water content might make your salad a little watery if added too early.

You’ll need to mix the mayo, softened cream cheese, sour cream and ranch dip in a separate bowl to blend. Just add them to your veggies and you’ll get something like this:

This is one of those salads that should be chilled for awhile before serving so it blends well. If it’s a little thicker, you might be able to add some more sour cream/mayo to blend it out more. If it’s a little watery, add some extra cauliflower, if you have it. Sometimes I have to do that, other times it’s perfect. Don’t forget to add your cucumbers/radishes if you’ve left them out.

Now….what do you do with that leftover cauliflower, if you have it? I used two heads so I could get a mix of purple and orange cauliflower. I saved some for salad toppings for the week and the rest, I blanched in bowling water for about 3 minutes, cooled in cold water and then froze for a side dish for later:

This is one way to make sure that you don’t waste any food. If this isn’t something you are bringing to a party but for your own party, just put your extra cauliflower on a veggie platter, if you have one.

I hope that you end up enjoying this cauliflower salad recipe if you try it. My family makes this every year at Thanksgiving. One of our traditions!